Origin of the fork. History of the fork: who invented the fork? When and by whom was the fork invented? Who invented the fork when and why?

The fork was first mentioned in the Middle East in the 9th century.

Before the invention of the fork, most people used only a spoon and a knife to eat, and took large pieces of solid food with their hands.

And only wealthy people could put on gloves before eating, and after eating, these gloves were thrown away. The elite of those years sometimes preferred to hold a knife in each hand - one for cutting food, and the other for transferring food from the dishes to the mouth.

The first forks had only two tines. The tines were straight and the fork could only be used for threading.

In the 11th century, the fork was first brought from Byzantium to Italy. In Europe, the fork began to be widely used in the 14th century, and only in the 17th century did the fork become a necessary attribute at meals.

But in Northern Europe the fork appeared much later.
In Russia, mentions of the fork date back to 1606 and it was brought to our land by Marina Mnishek. At a wedding feast in the Kremlin, she shocked the Russian boyars and spiritual leaders by appearing at the table with a fork in her hand.

The word “fork” finally took root in the Russian language only in the 18th century, and before that it was simply called “rotina” or “viltsy”.

But the familiar fork with curved teeth first appeared in Germany in the 18th century. Around this time, the fork with four prongs began to be used.

Many people, imagining the times of knights and noble ladies, and later gentlemen and ladies, the court etiquette of French kings or Italian doges, do not even think about how exactly they ate. And if you ask, they will answer that with a knife and fork. But no. At least not right away.

Who invented the fork

Interestingly, there were no forks in Europe until the 14th century (with the exception of Italy, which had close contacts with the Byzantine Empire). But first things first. The history of the invention of the fork is as follows...

The fork was invented in the Middle East around the 9th century AD (at least mentions of a similar device are found at this time), at that time “enlightened Europe” used a knife and... A second knife. Or a knife for cutting meat and hands for transporting food from the plate to the mouth.

A little earlier, in Ancient Egypt, forks were used during cooking. In ancient Rome, two-pronged forks were used to remove meat from a cauldron or brazier. That is, the item was purely utilitarian, used so as not to burn your hands. In ancient Rome they ate, naturally, with their hands.

Travel to Europe

The fork came to Europe from the East through Byzantium. There are references to the fact that the Byzantine princess, not wanting to eat with her hands, like all other people, ate with the help of a two-pronged fork. The device first came to Italy in the 11th century. Then, to France - in the XIV. At that time, the Queen of France, Jeanne d'Herve, had exactly one fork in the entire country.

Forks came to England only in 1608 from Italy. But it was in England that mass production of forks was launched in 1860. Modern forks with curved four prongs originated in Germany in the 18th century.

Etiquette

By the 16th century, the fork had come into use in aristocratic society. It was an item of insane luxury. The rules of good manners of the 16th-18th centuries still dictated that meat should be handled exclusively with three fingers, and not with all five. Do not wipe your hands on clothes or a tablecloth, but rinse them in a special bowl of water.

Sometimes aristocrats, in order not to get their hands dirty, wore gloves, which they then simply threw away

The Catholic Church did not like the fork. Its use was considered as excessive luxury, godlessness, or even connection with the devil. Sometimes forks were called “spoons of splitting,” and it was often said that “God in his wisdom gave man a natural “fork”—his fingers. And eating with a fork means insulting God.”

The fork was first brought to Muscovy by the wife of the false Dmitry (both the First and the Second), Marina Mnishek (a Pole) in 1606. The presence of a fork in the wife of False Dmitry served as one of the proofs of his non-Russian origin. Peter the Great also had a fork, which, along with all other cutlery, was carried by his servant, since not all noble houses of that time could provide Peter with a full set.

Who invented the fork is actually unknown, but the history of its invention, distribution and use is much more interesting than the name of the inventor.

The history of the fork goes back decades. True, they began to use it much later than a spoon and a knife. Basically, they ate food with their hands, using cutlery only as improvised means. Sometimes, some aristocrats held one knife in each hand - for cutting and transferring food from the plate directly to the mouth. In those days, the nobles did not even realize that in the future it would be much easier and more convenient to eat their favorite dishes.

The first time a fork is mentioned is in the records of the 9th century in the Middle East. The new item had only two teeth, so it was a little awkward to use. Residents of the East only practiced stringing pieces. Towards the end of the century, the fork was brought to Italy - the country of gourmets. There is a legend that Princess Maria Agrira was the first to use a fork. According to the version, the little noblewoman did not touch food with her hands; instead, she forced her servants to cut all the food into tiny pieces. Near the princess lay an instrument of extraordinary beauty with two prongs, just like its owner. She attached the dishes to it.

Only three centuries later, the culinary accessory was already known in Europe, and after another time, neither nobles nor merchants could do without it. The northern part of the continent became acquainted with the fork much later. The first to describe the “miracle” was Thomas Coryatt, after returning home from a trip to Italy. But England saw the fork only in the 18th century. True, not everyone recognized the invention. The Catholic Church was against the use of a two-pronged culinary accessory. The priests all insisted that this was an excess of luxury. Moreover, the device instilled fear in religious leaders.

The fork came to Russia and then other Slavic countries in 1606. Queen Marina Mnishek appeared at one wedding feast with a novelty in her hand, which completely shocked everyone present. Guests could not even imagine that in just a few decades this food attribute would become an integral part of the meal. Much later, one European who traveled all over great Russia once wrote in his essays that at every noble dinner for guests they put a spoon and bread on the table, as well as a fork, a knife and a plate.

It was only in the 18th century that the word “fork” became firmly rooted in the Russian language. Before this, it had never been called “rohatina” or “wiltsa”... All this time, the accessory had the shape of a handle and straight teeth. Of course, it was much more convenient and even more interesting to eat with it, but over the years people realized that even that was not enough. It was for this reason that curved teeth were invented in Germany in the same century, and a little later there were more of them - as many as four pieces.

Modern feasts are served in such a way that there can be up to a dozen different forks on the table. All of them were “born” literally recently - at the beginning of the last century. Hundreds of books and manuals have been written on how to properly use this or that type of fork. Many historians and culinary specialists have devoted their activities to teaching people to understand these attributes, since sometimes there are actually a lot of them.

Today, a lemon fork is distinguished - a small accessory with two sharp teeth. There is a two-horned fork for serving herring. An attribute with a wide blade-shaped base and five teeth, which are connected at the ends by a bridge, is used for sprats. There is also a special device for crabs, crayfish and shrimp, which includes a long fork with two teeth. The model for seafood and cold fish cocktails has three teeth, one of which (the left one) is slightly larger than the others, so that it is convenient to separate the flesh of oysters and mussels from the shells. Finally, there is a chill fork, which is used for hot fish appetizers (with three prongs). Squid needles are also classified as forks.

The word fork comes from the Latin “fulka”, which means garden fork. Currently, the fork is the most popular and frequently used kitchen utensil. But few people know that all attempts to introduce the fork into use in the 17th century encountered stubborn resistance from the Church. The Catholic Church called the fork an “excessive luxury” and did not welcome its use - its use in the courts of monarchs was considered as godlessness or even a connection with the devil.

The fork took root slowly. It was borrowed from the Venetians, who used it when eating fruit to prevent the juice from staining their fingers. In France, a five-fingered fork was used for a long time. This is what Montaigne meant when he said: “Sometimes I eat so hastily that I bite my fingers.”

But let's go back a few centuries. The fork, as a cutlery, was familiar to the ancient Greeks. At that time, forks were relatively large, had only two massive straight tines and were used to distribute large chunks of meat among dishes. By the 7th century AD, in Asia Minor, the fork had become a symbol of wealth and power and was used by royal families during feasts. From the 10th century, forks spread to the territory of the Byzantine Empire, where similar cutlery was also used only by aristocrats. From there, in the 11th century, the fork was brought to Venice by a Byzantine princess. However, in Italy the fork did not find use for a long time and only gained popularity in the 16th century. It is not difficult to guess that in the rest of Europe this necessary cutlery appeared only at the end of the 16th century. And it spread only by the 18th.

The fork was brought to Russia from Poland in 1606 by False Dmitry I in the luggage of Marina Mniszech and was demonstratively used during a feast in the Faceted Chamber of the Kremlin on the occasion of the marriage of False Dmitry to Marina. This caused an explosion of indignation among the boyars and clergy, and served as one of the reasons for the preparation of Shuisky’s conspiracy. As they say, the fork failed. It became a compelling argument proving to the common people the non-Russian origin of False Dmitry.

Traditionally, misfortune was associated with signs of a fork - dropping a fork was considered the eve of misfortune, a bad omen. They spoke disapprovingly of the fork, as evidenced by the proverb: “A spoon is like a net, but a fork is like a fish,” that is, you cannot scoop up anything.

Russia has kept pace with the historical process when it comes to forks. Even under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, as one European wrote in travel essays, “at dinner, spoons and bread were placed on the table for each guest, and a plate, knife and fork were only for honored guests.”

Alexei Mikhailovich's son Peter the Great also contributed to the history of the fork in Rus'. Not without his help, the Russian aristocracy recognized the fork in the 18th century. In the publication “Russian Antiquity” for 1824 there is information about how the table was set for Peter I: “A wooden spoon seasoned with ivory, a knife and fork with green bone handles were always placed at his cutlery, and the orderly on duty was required to carry them with you and put it in front of the king, even if he happened to dine at a party.” Apparently, Peter was not sure that even in the “best houses” he would be given the entire set of cutlery.

Modern tables are set with utensils, among which there may be a dozen types of forks: regular and snack forks, for meat, fish, side dishes, two-pronged - large and smaller, used for cutting meat fibers, special for cutting lobsters, a fork complete with a knife for oysters, forks combined with spatulas - for asparagus. All of them are of recent origin: XIX - early XX centuries. Books have been written on how to distinguish them and how to use them.

In the 19th century A new method of gilding and silvering metals was invented - electroplating. The company "Christofle" (France) bought a patent for his invention from the author of the method, Count de Ruolz, and began using electroplating in the production of cutlery. And from that time on, a huge number of different forks, knives, spoons, spatulas and other beautiful, and most importantly functional tableware items began to be developed and produced.
Today, in the production of cutlery, the main material is 18/10 steel. This is the most durable and durable material, used even in medicine. 18/10 steel serves as the basis for products with silver or gold plating.

Good spoons and forks should have a thickness of at least 2.5 mm (measured at the end of the handle). There should be no sharp corners, for example between the tines of forks. Everything should be smooth and fluid. In addition, an expensive fork can be immediately recognized by the presence of grooves at the base of the teeth, so that food is washed out more easily.

Despite all the variety of forks currently manufactured, there are certain types, the purpose and method of use of which are defined:

The history of cutlery begins with the oldest cutlery - the knife. There is an opinion that it was a bone or stone knife, and not a stick, that became the first tool of a skilled person. For many millennia, the knife was used as a weapon, for hunting and all types of work, but about 5000 years ago special table knives appeared. Until the Middle Ages, people carried personal utility knives with them, which they used not only at the table, but also at work. In the 15th and 16th centuries, expensive knives made of gold with handles made of expensive wood appeared on the tables of noble people. Over time, only the materials in knives changed, new forms of the blade and handle appeared. Simple bronze knives with a wooden handle and exquisite silver and gold knives with luxurious inlaid handles have given way to universal steel knives with plastic handles. As for the shape of the knife, the first table knives made of copper and bronze differ only slightly in shape from modern ones. Until the 17th century, only knives with sharpened blades existed. The rounded bases of the blades, according to legend, appeared on the orders of Louis XIV to prevent the habit of courtiers from picking their teeth and eating from a knife. Although the folding knife seems like a recent invention, it was invented by the Romans back in the 1st century for use during military campaigns and travel. The custom that soon emerged of carrying a knife in a sheath prevented the further development of pocket knives. At the end of the 16th century, the folding knife again became necessary for travelers and soldiers as a weapon, a tool for defense, and a cutlery.

The second cutlery after the knife was the spoon. It is not known exactly when the first spoons appeared, because they were made from clay, wood chips, nut shells or shells. To this day, in remote parts of the world, people use shells to scoop up liquid food, and in Latin and ancient Greek the word “spoon” is derived from “snail shell.” Already starting from the 3rd millennium BC. Spoons made of horn, wood and fish bones appeared. The ancient Roman nobility already used golden spoons. In Egypt, spoons for the nobility were made from precious metals, ivory and stone, while commoners used wooden spoons, and more often ate with their hands. In Southeast Asia, beautiful spoons were made from crystals and later from porcelain. In Europe, mostly wooden spoons were made. The Anglo-Saxon word for spoon has the same root as splinter. The history of cutlery in Rus' suggests that the spoon came into use by ordinary people much earlier than in Europe. It was customary to carry your own wooden spoon with you when visiting people until the 19th century. There were many options for wooden spoons, from rough burlatsky ones to thin and carved pointed ones. The first mention of silver spoons in Rus' dates back to 988, when the warriors of Vladimir Krasno Solnyshko demanded large silver spoons as compensation for accepting a new faith.

Although the Romans, who spread cutlery throughout the Roman Empire, preferred oval-shaped spoons with a long handle, spoons with a round recess and an easy-to-grip short handle spread throughout Europe, and only in the 15th-17th centuries did elongated oval-shaped spoons begin to appear again. A significant lengthening of the handle occurred at a time when puffy collars and jabots were in fashion. With the advent of wigs and crinolines, spoon handles took on an elegant shape and the length we are accustomed to. In the mid-19th century, flat-handled spoons appeared because they could be held elegantly with three fingers. At the same time, the custom arose of placing figures of the 12 apostles on the handles of expensive spoons. (That’s why the sets were made for 12 people.) A baby’s christening was given a silver spoon with the image of the apostle after whom he was named. To this day, this custom has been preserved in many Christian countries. In Russia, however, it was modified into the gift of a silver spoon in honor of the first tooth.

Cutlery became a work of art a long time ago, as the history of cutlery tells. “Silverware” was a symbol of aristocracy and distinguished commoners from the nobility not only by the presence of luxury items, but also by the ability to use cutlery and observe etiquette. In an old English magazine you can find advice: make a hole in a silver teaspoon to teach the child to use it only for stirring sugar and catching tea leaves, but not for drinking tea or pouring sugar. At the end of the 18th century, metal spoons ceased to be a sign of nobility; every family had spoons made of bronze or tin. At the beginning of the 19th century, an alloy of copper with nickel and zinc was invented, which was very similar to silver and was called argentanium, alphenide or cupronickel. Cupronickel spoons quickly gained popularity in Europe and Russia. In the mid-19th century there was a period of fascination with aluminum appliances, which are now associated with Soviet public catering. At the table of Napoleon III, aluminum spoons were served only to the emperor and the most respected guests; everyone else had to eat with gold-plated utensils.

The fork is the youngest cutlery. The prototype of the modern fork appeared in Ancient Greece. It was a fairly large tool with two sharp teeth for removing meat from the roasting pan and serving complex hot dishes. In addition to two-pronged forks, peaks and skewers were used for serving, on which meat was served. Back then they didn’t use forks to eat, but ate with their hands. At Roman feasts, it was customary to wear special gloves or pointed tips on the fingers to keep the hands clean. In the 7th century, small forks with two prongs appeared in Turkey, in the 10th century - in Byzantium, from where they spread throughout Europe. Due to their resemblance to devil's horns and the inconvenience of using them, forks were almost forgotten during the Middle Ages. And in some countries, forks were even banned by decree of the Pope. In the 14th-16th centuries, forks were considered a whim of the rich. In France, at this time they just stopped eating with a knife and used a single-pronged fork (awl) to prick pieces of food. Even in the early 17th century, English gentlemen considered the fork unnecessary and preferred to use their fingers. According to the etiquette of that time, the meat was elegantly picked up with three fingers, after which they were rinsed in a special bowl. It was only at the end of the 17th century, when conveniently curved forks with three and four prongs appeared, that they became an integral attribute of high society. It is generally accepted that forks appeared in Russia thanks to Peter I, however, at the court of his father, Alexei Mikhailovich, these devices were already served to honored foreign guests. And the first fork was brought to Russia by Marina Mnishek, the wife of False Dmitry, and this did not at all contribute to its popularity among the people. Russian aristocrats were accustomed to using a fork during the reign of Peter I, who carried his cutlery with him, not being sure that he would be served the same when visiting. Until the 18th century, the Russian language did not even have the word “fork”, and the device was called a horn or viltsy. Russian peasants were wary of forks until the beginning of the 20th century, considering the overseas device inconvenient and unnecessary at a simple peasant table.

Medieval noble travelers carried folding forks and spoons with them, since guests were not given cutlery at inns. Travel cutlery was compactly placed in a beautiful case and fastened to a belt.

In the mid-18th - early 19th centuries, Europe learned a huge number of new products; recipes for delicious dishes were developed that required due attention. As a result, many types of specialized knives, spoons and forks appeared, and accordingly, the rules of etiquette became more complex. In the 20th century, a reverse movement began: towards simplification and unification of cutlery. The fork-spoon (spork), invented at the beginning of the 19th century, became widespread. This device has a recess for liquid and 2 or 3 teeth. Plastic fork spoons are commonly served in fast food restaurants. They are convenient for eating ice cream and desserts. Another version of the fork-spoon: there is a fork at one end of the handle, and a spoon at the other. There is even a device that combines a spoon, fork and knife (splayd). Like a simple fork-spoon, it combines a liquid well with teeth and also has a sharp right edge, making it unsuitable for left-handers.

It seems natural to us that the main cutlery is a knife, spoon and fork. However, less than half of the world's population uses them. The rest prefer to eat with chopsticks, a knife and hands, or just their hands. It follows from this that chopsticks are the most common cutlery on earth.

It is unknown when the first chopsticks appeared, but perhaps their prototype was twigs that were used to place hot stones into pieces of raw food wrapped in leaves or to turn food over a fire. Originally, chopsticks were made from split bamboo and resembled tongs. Warlords of Asian nomadic tribes tied a case with such tongs and a knife to their belts. The Mongol tribes never switched to using separate sticks. The oldest split sticks found in China are made of bronze and date back to the 12th century BC. In ancient times, chopsticks were used in religious ceremonies and symbolized wealth and high birth. Only in the 8th-9th centuries AD. they became everyday cutlery. The Chinese name for chopsticks, kuàizi, literally means “swift bamboo.” Bamboo is the most suitable material for chopsticks, as it has no odor or taste, does not conduct heat, and is relatively cheap. Sticks were also made from sandalwood, cedar, pine, teak, jade, agate, coral, ivory and precious metals. Interestingly, the ancient name for sticks (zhù) sounded the same as “stop”, so on ships, and later everywhere, it was replaced by a word with the opposite meaning “quickly”.

It is not surprising that chopsticks, and not other utensils, have become popular in Southeast Asia. Indeed, in oriental cuisines, the prevailing method is short-term frying of products in a rounded wok pan, which is explained by the lack of fuel for long-term processing. To fry meat and vegetables in a few minutes, chop them finely. In addition, the Japonica rice, common in this region, is very sticky and is convenient to eat with chopsticks.

Over the many centuries of the existence of sticks, several varieties of them have appeared. Long metal or bamboo sticks (up to 40 cm) are used for cooking, short ones (20-25 cm) are used for eating. Chopsticks ending in a blunt end are intended for rice and vegetables, as they have additional surface area; Pointed chopsticks are convenient for eating meat and removing bones from fish. Sticks made from untreated wood or bamboo have antibacterial properties and hold pieces of food better, as they have a rough structure; It is more difficult to eat with metal, porcelain and lacquered chopsticks made of precious wood or ivory. Such sticks are real works of art that require experience in handling. In China, chopsticks made of untreated wood or bamboo with blunt ends are common; In Japan, it is customary to eat with varnished, pointed hashi chopsticks, suitable for fish, and chopsticks for men, women and children vary in size, and children's chopsticks are also brightly colored. In Japan, chopsticks are placed on stands with their sharp ends facing upward. Tibetan and Taiwanese chopsticks are shaped like unsharpened pencils. In Korea, they make flat stainless steel chopsticks and additionally use a deep spoon for noodles. Traditionally, Korean chopsticks were made of silver and were used only by the aristocracy. Asian restaurants typically serve disposable chopsticks held together by a bridge, which must be separated before use.

According to etiquette, you cannot make sounds with chopsticks to attract attention. They cannot be used to pierce food, with the exception of whole vegetables, which are difficult to grab. Chopsticks should not be left vertically inserted into a bowl of rice, as this is reminiscent of incense being burned at a funeral. For the same reason, you cannot place chopsticks to the left of the plate, because this is how the dish for remembrance is served. Even left-handed people are supposed to hold chopsticks in their right hand. During lunch, it is impolite to place your chopsticks so that they point at your neighbor. In China and Vietnam, it is acceptable to hold the bowl near the mouth and use chopsticks not to grab the rice, but simply to push it into the mouth, but in Korea such behavior is considered uncivilized. In Japan, it is not allowed to transfer anything from one chopstick to another. To transfer food from a common plate, a special pair of chopsticks is used. As a last resort, you can use the back of individual sticks. After the meal is finished, you should place the chopsticks in front of the plate with the ends to the left. Chinese and Japanese children begin to eat with chopsticks from about one year of age. It is believed that this develops fine motor skills and affects the child's abilities.